5 roster battles facing 49ers ahead of preseason finale

Three preseason games have been played. That means new coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have a lot of information to sort through before assembling the 49ers 53-man roster by Saturday at 1 p.m.

Many of the starting spots appear wrapped up. But there remain some key questions on the back end of the roster ahead of the exhibition finale Thursday against the Chargers.

Let’s take a look at five key roster battles the 49ers have to sort out over the coming days…

RB Raheem Mostert vs. RB Tim Hightower

Mostert has been one of San Francisco’s most productive players throughout the preseason. He’s averaging 6.1 yards over his 19 carries and scored an 87-yard touchdown on a screen pass Sunday in Minnesota. But that’s not entirely why Mostert’s a surprise candidate for a roster spot.

The reason Mostert might unseat Hightower for his presumptive spot with the running backs is his work on special teams. Mostert can return kicks and plays as a gunner, of which the 49ers are in short supply.

(Tim Hightower – Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports)

Hightower, 31, has been given just three carries after missing the preseason opener with a leg injury. He fumbled on his first attempt against Denver and was a healthy Sunday in Minnesota but didn’t play. Shanahan said he expects Hightower to get more of an opportunity in the fourth preseason game this week. Although, playing a veteran in that game often isn’t a ringing endorsement.

“We’ve got a pretty good idea of what Tim can do. That’s why we’ve brought him here,” Shanahan said. “He’s definitely in this mix. We just had a bunch of guys that we haven’t seen before and we’ve had to get some of these rookies more opportunities because you never know what you’ve got with them until you see them in NFL games.”

It appears Carlos Hyde, undrafted rookie Matt Breida, fourth-round pick Joe Williams and fullback Kyle Juszczyk will make the team. The question becomes whether or not the 49ers will keep five running backs.

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